1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to arc lamps and specifically to cooling such lamps with heat sinks when operated in excess of five hundred watts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Short arc lamps provide intense point sources of light that allow light collection in reflectors for applications in medical endoscopes, instrumentation and projection. Short arc lamps are used in industrial endoscopes for the inspection of jet engine interiors.
A typical short arc lamp comprises an anode and a cathode positioned along the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical, sealed concave chamber that contains a gas pressurized to several atmospheres. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,128, issued Dec. 30, 1986, to Rov D. Roberts, the present inventor, and Robert L. Miner, describes such a short arc lamp in which a copper sleeve member is attached to the reflecting wall to conduct heat from the reflecting wall through to the exterior wall and eventually to circulating ambient air.
The lamp illustrated in FIG. 2 of Roberts, et al., can be operated at one kilowatt. At such high power levels, the heat generated is conventionally dispersed with heat sinks. However, prior art heat sinks for in excess of five hundred watts are large and bulky.
Prior art heat sinks typically use aluminum extrusions that limit how thin the fins can be made. Extruding operations dictate fin thickness and spacing.